FRANKLIN, N.J. – A New Jersey man died Wednesday after rescuing his children from the water in an area near where they had gone swimming.

The identity of the man, a 42-year-old father from South River, has not been released yet pending notification of his family, police said. South River is a borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, about 40 miles south of New York City.

Around 2:13 p.m. Wednesday, Franklin Township police received a 911 call about a man in the water with three children on the shore.

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When officers arrived they found three children, ages 13, 11 and 8 out of the water, but their father was unable to be located, police said.

Witnesses reported the children went into the water and quickly became distressed. The father went into the water to help his children and was able to pull them to shallow water, but struggled to maintain his balance.

Emergency personnel went into the water but were unable to find the father. Police said the children were treated at the scene and released without further medical attention.

Around 5:28 p.m. the father's body was recovered by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office dive team.

The incident is under investigation by the Franklin Township Police Department.

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Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem.